


1. Death and All His Friends

by Kaleidograph



Series: Ghost Stories [1]
Category: Ghostbusters (Movies)
Genre: Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Homecoming, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 11:50:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2308673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaleidograph/pseuds/Kaleidograph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the unexpected death of her stepfather, Marie Tully is forced to return to New York City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Death and All His Friends

"Go to sleep. I love you, kid.”  
That was the last thing he said to her. 

1:13 PM, February 24, 2014. 

She felt the dry heaves rising, the lump form in her throat, and the stinging behind her eyes. In the blink of an eye, she hit the floor, screaming. The short, wiry man came running in to see what was wrong.  
“What’s going on, Marie? What happened?!” The alarm in his voice causing it to break. She couldn’t speak, only gesticulate toward her iPhone. He picked it up to find out what had seemingly devastated his daughter. “Oh God.”  
All he could do was hold her. Eventually, he helped move the crumpled girl to her bed.  
“Is it real?” She choked weakly.   
“I’m so sorry, sweet girl. Come on, come sit down. I’ll make you an herbal tea, you sit right here.”  
“No, dad. No. I don--- No thank you.”  
“What can I do?” he whispered politely, patting her shoulder gently and moving her long black hair out of her face.   
Marie didn’t offer any reply. She just sat in silence on her bed, still wanting to throw up. Now she wished she had that herbal tea. A searing pain shot through her, as if someone had stabbed a white-hot knife straight into her sternum. Tears and snot poured down her face and she didn’t even care. The pain in her sternum turned into a dull ache as a wave of numbness washed over her like a tide coming in. She wanted to think calmly, let that nurse-brain kick in, be rational, look at things objectively... Something about a fight-or-flight response... Nope. Nothing. 

A scream loud enough to shake the walls of the house came from Marie’s bedroom. And then another. A series of blood-curdling screams could be heard from a city block away, but it didn’t occur to her to mind. From the next room, her father did his best to cover his open ear, while the other one was pressed firmly to the telephone.

“Hi, Janine?”  
“Louis?”  
“I’m so sorry to hear about what happened.”  
“Where’s Marie?”  
“I put her in bed, she’s not taking it well at all.”  
“I didn’t figure she would.”  
“How are you holding up?”  
“Alright, I guess. Everyone’s been in and out of here, so I’m kind of occupied. Is she coming home today, or tomorrow, or ever?”  
“She just came off a long shift and has barely had any sleep. Let her rest. She’s in no shape to drive or fly right now. I’ll make the arrangements to get her home tomorrow morning.”  
“Thanks, Louis.”  
“Is there anything I can do for you all?”  
“Just bring my girl home.”  
“Our girl.”  
“Yes, Louis,” Janine sighed, as if to say she didn’t need reminding for the five millionth time, “Our girl.”

Marie closed her puffy brown eyes and drifted off to sleep. The last memory she had of him pervaded her sleep. He had come to Florida just weeks ago to speak at a conference, and stayed to visit her. They had gone to breakfast together, and she tried to convince him to drink a sip of her mimosa. He had one sip and turned green, asking how she could stand to drink alcohol this early in the day. They laughed, she laid her head on his arm, he whispered he loved her and kissed the top of her head. 

Janis Marie Tully woke up with tears in her eyes. A feeling of defeated resignation took over her, and she slowly began to throw her clothes into a travel bag with no real rhyme or reason, just tossing them in nimbly-pimbly until she could barely close the zipper. Glancing at her blue vintage clock, she realized she had only been asleep for about two hours. She threw her bag out her bedroom door and into the hallway, just barely missing Anakin, her dad’s roadblock of a cat. Louis heard the cat hiss and came out of his bedroom.  
“Oh good, you’re awake. Listen, I was wondering are you ready for a road trip, because Florida to New York is a really long drive, and I’m not sure that you’re ready to make that kind of trip yet.”  
“I’m not driving, I’m taking the next flight out of Palm Beach,” she shot back pointedly, the fire of contempt and anger in her eyes. Louis knew well enough to back down. He didn’t want to draw Marie’s ire, especially on a day like today. As Marie started down the stairs, her expression changed from an angry, sullen face, to one of pure sorrow.   
“Aren’t you coming?”  
“I’m going to drive your car up there tomorrow morning.”   
Hot tears welled in her eyes again. Louis could only hold his daughter, who dwarfed him by about half a foot, as she cried. She cried and cried until she had no breath left, no more sound came out. Louis knew he couldn’t let her drive to the airport. He loaded his daughter into her black G6 and took the keys.   
   
Janine paced the floor of the penthouse, wondering why it was so damn cold. She had just turned the thermostat to 75, shouldn’t it be warmed up by now? Shuddering, she pulled the leopard print blanket from the chaise lounge in her bedroom and wrapped it around her shoulders.   
If it doesn’t warm up soon, a glass of pinot noir will warm things up, she thought to herself. Better not start now, more people will be coming.   
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, the doorbell rang. 

“Hey, good to see you, Ray. Ryan, come on in.”  
“Janine, I’m so sorry,” Ray started, trailing off as he looked around. A coldness did linger in the air, and the room felt like an icebox. The quiet girl behind him with the long strawberry blonde hair shivered and rubbed her arms.  
“I better check that thermostat…. Holy Moses… who the hell turned it to 64?”  
“If you have to ask…” Ryan squeaked quietly, her mouth barely moving. Janine smiled knowingly.  
“He’s here, isn’t he?” Janine pleaded.  
“Oh yes. But someone isn’t,” Ryan answered, her eyes flittering around the room as if they were watching a hummingbird dart around.  
“She’s flying home from Florida today, at least she’s supposed to anyway. I don’t know what she does anymore. Ray, your kid never ceases to amaze.”  
“What can I say? She’s special.”

More people began to knock on the door. First Dr. Venkman and his family, then the Zeddemores. Dana Venkman had taken it upon herself to bring some kind of chicken casserole, clean the kitchen, and keep track of all the people who came to call. Sheila Zeddemore had brought Janine a bottle of her favorite wine, and the women had opened it and began drinking. Still, the sun was beginning to set, and Janine’s daughter was still nowhere to be found. She had to make a decision, and the waiting game was not the one she wanted to play anymore.

Janine Spengler didn’t look the least bit upset or mournful outwardly—her cool-as-a-cucumber exterior betrayed the way she truly felt inwardly. Inside, she was a wreck. Nineteen years of marriage, gone in an instant. She was somewhere between amused and heartbroken that of all the dangerous things that could’ve killed him in the thirty years he’d been in his line of work, it was his heart that gave out. Too big, your heart’s too big, she would tell him. He would just smile and nod and go back to tinkering with some project. She missed that sly smile. She missed his voice. She missed the way his eyes would light up when he spoke of the things he loved: science. Her. His stepdaughter. 

Tears welled in Janine’s eyes when Marie opened the door to the penthouse. Marie just stood in the doorway, a numb feeling spreading from her legs to her fingertips and up her body. Her lips were frozen, absolutely speechless when she finally came home with the knowing that the one person she cared about the most wouldn’t be there.   
Marie exchanged a long stare with her mother, as if it were a Showdown at the OK Corral. The air in the room was so thick and palpable, you could cut it with a butter knife. Everyone in the room knew about the falling-out between Janine and Marie, so the tension built exponentially with every passing second. Marie’s face was a difficult one to read. There was really no emotion showing at all—just a thousand-yard stare towards the bedroom down the hall. Janine wasn’t sure how to read her daughter, either. It had been three years since they had held a full conversation without trading barbs at each other or hanging up on one another—approaching Marie was a dangerous idea at this point. Everyone in the kitchen or living room waited with bated breath to see who was going to throw the first punch.  
Finally, someone caved.  
“Mom?” was all Marie could utter before breaking down again.   
“You’re home, baby girl, You’re home.”  
“It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s a bad dream, it’s not real.” – Those words sent Janine over the edge. They stood in the foyer, embracing and crying for a solid ten minutes before they moved to other parts of the house. 

Marie poured herself a glass of water and parked herself next to Ryan on the couch. Ray held a folder in his trembling hands, waiting for the right time to speak. When everyone was seated in the living room, he took his turn.  
“I was going to call an official emergency meeting of the Ghostbusters, but it seems we’re all here. Janine, if you will? Thanks. Alright, Spengler appointed me the executor of his will some ten-odd years ago, and gave Janine specific instructions to read it as soon after his passing as possible. So here we are. Will states that Janine, you will receive the house, all vehicles, all assets, and 75% of the disbursement of the life insurance policy. Marie, you are entitled to receive 25% of the life insurance policy, as well as… that can’t be right… full control of Spengler Labs, with the express purpose of using the laboratory to continue on research and development of equipment for the Ghostbusters, which she will see restored. When was this written, Janine?” Ray sputtered, as Marie choked on her ice water.  
“He had it drawn up last month,” Janine answered, befuddled. “Why would he leave you, no offense, in charge of research and development for the… what? This makes no sense at all.”   
The room began to roar with people all talking amongst themselves, while Marie just sat silently, watching the cityscape below outside the window. Worry lines furrowed at her brow. Ryan also remained quiet, but anyone could tell she was brimming with excitement, ready to burst like a confetti-filled balloon. Like the way a child acts when they have a secret to tell.   
“You got something to say?” Marie spat, not breaking her gaze out of the window.  
“He left you in charge.”  
“Yeah, I got that.”  
“So… charge. Lead the charge. You’re positively in charge.”  
“No, I’m not, Ryan. The only thing I want to be in charge of is my unit, period.” Marie sighed, knowing Ryan would press a matter until blue in the face. Marie shook her head and mouthed the word “no,” but Ryan’s blue eyes misted plaintively. 

It was in that moment, she knew why she had been named heiress to the house that Spengler built—the only problem was that she had no desire to take the reins of a company in ruins, or to even put her roots back down in New York. 

If I had any say in the matter, Ryan thought, she would just do as she’s told and stop bitching… ha, do what she’s told... that’s funny. He picked her because she’s special. Oscar’s the smart one, and everyone knows I’m crazy. Not crazy, just different. She’s special. She can save us. 

Later that evening, most of all the visitors had departed, until only Janine and Marie remained in the house. At the kitchen table, they sat drinking coffee half an hour to midnight, catching up on the past few years. Before long, Marie couldn’t hold her eyes open anymore. It had been too long of a day. Janine offered Marie her old bedroom, and Marie was too tired to fight. She didn’t want to stay with her mother, but, something about desperate times and measures… too tired. Need sleep. 

The room hadn’t changed. The walls were still a light apple green, with the same antique off-white furniture. The same books on the shelves, the same pictures in frames on the walls. Seven years old, with her stepdad at her dance recital; the time she fell down the hill in Ohio and got all muddy; so many pictures of herself and Egon together—the two were practically inseparable from the time he had married Janine until Marie left for Florida. Even so, they had remained in close contact. She hadn’t shut him out completely like she had her mother.

Again, she felt the hot tears behind her eyes. Leaning her head against the wall, she let it out. She had to get some rest. Tears soaked her pillow as she laid in bed, the child in her hoping that any minute now, her stepdad would poke his head into her room to check on her and say goodnight; sobbing at the realization that he was never coming. Dr. Spengler was never coming back.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first installment in a series of stories I wrote about the Ghostbusters. I originally began this story in 2008, and never really published it. With the passing of Harold Ramis in February 2014, I felt motivated to pick it back up and finish it, and the story really took on a much different persona after that. My first idea had been to have Spengler hook up with an original character, who would be Janine's daughter. As I got much older, I realized just how odd and creepy that was, and I didn't like that at all. February's events took a massive toll on me, and I found myself grieving for someone that I never even knew. It was at that point that I realized what I needed to do-- write their relationship not as a romantic one, but as a parent-child relationship via Janine. I needed to write something that would make Harold proud. I hope I can do just that, and I hope you all enjoy.


End file.
